Steering apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. S. LAKE.-

' STEERING APPARATUS.

Patented Dec 19, 1882.

R 0 T ..N 3 my W1 TNESSES A TTORNfE):

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. S. LAKE.

STEERING APPARATUS.

No. 269,299. Patented Dec. 19, 1882.

l'igfb WI T NESSES JMQZ yM/M' 11v VENTORI- @M% A TTORNE Y),

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE S. LAKE, F PLEASANTVILLE, NEV JERSEY.

STEERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of I ietters Patent No. 269,299, dated December 19, 1882.

Application filed February 13, 1892. (No model.)

To all whom "it may concern Be it known that I, JEssE S. LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pleasantville,

in the county ofAtlantic and State ofNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation ofmy invention. Fig. 2 is a plan ofthe same. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail horizontal sections. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of my invention. Fig. 6 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 7 is a broken similar view, and Figs. 8 and 9 are detail pers ectives.

My invention has for its object to provide a steering apparatus in which the rudder can be moved only by turning the hand-wheel, and in which the strain of the water or vessel on said rudder will be inefiectual to produce anyreaction of the hand-wheel or any movement ofthe entire tiller.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, having reference particularly to the following points: first, to the provision of a tiller made in two sections-an upper and a lower section, the latter being under control of the former and the former being free from reactionary influence of the rudder; second, to the combination, with the sectional tiller and with a circular or segmental rail, of clamps which bind upon said railand prevent-the strain of the vessel or of the water from reacting on the hand-wheel, said clamps releasing their grip when the tiller is moved from or by the hand-wheel third, to the arrangement of the clamping-rail, whereby it will move in its bearings to ease the rudder or rudder-post whenever the strain is so violent as to produce injury unless such easing be permitted; fourth, to the employment of a rack and pinion as the intermediate mechanism for moving the tiller from the shaft of the hand-wheel; fifth, to certain details of construction hereinafter fully set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A indicates a rudder, and A its post.

B represents the tiller, made in two sections, B B The upper section, B, isloosely swiveled on the post A, while the lower section, B, is firmly fastened to said post, so as to move with said post.

0 is the hand-wheel, secured on the shaft 0, which has a s\vivel-bearing,c,in the top ofthe rudder-post A, and carries a pinion, 0 which meshes with'a segmental rack, 0 which rests upon standards 0 0, having liberty of vertical movement on pins 0 c".

D is a circular rail sustained in a horizontal plane in standards at d (1 The bearing 01 on the standard d is afriction-bearing, so adjusted that it will, up to a certain point, prevent circumferential movement on the part of the rail D, but will permit such movement above said point, as hereinafter set forth.

6, having openings 0 e for the passage of the rail D, and slides e for adjusting the size of said openings or taking up lost motion therein.

section B their outer ends,f f, exerting pressure against the clamps E E, so as to hold the same in the necessary relation to the section B and rail D, as hereinafter set forth.

G G are Lshaped brackets secured to the sides of the section B and aflord'ing step-supports for the rear ends ofthe clamps E E,which rest thereon.

H is a staple fastened in the under side of the section B, and forming a mortise for a tenon, b, on the outer end of the section B The mortise-opening h is, however, of greater lateral extent than the tenon, so that the latter has liberty of side motion to a limited degree in the former.

I is a plate or head provided with lugs i 2', whereby it-is firmly secured on the upper tillersection, B. Said plate I forms abearing at i for the shaft 0, and extends downwardly in front of the lower tiller-section, B and between the clamps E E.

It will be observed that the vertical sides of the tillersection B approach toward each other in the direction of the front or outer end of said section, so that when the clamps E E rest flush against said sides they do not form radii to the circular rail D, the result being that the sides 6 and t of the openings 6' in said clamps bind against said rail D, as shown E E are clamps, consisting of metal'plates F F are springs fastened at ff to the tillerin Fig. 4. When, however, said clamps flare or occupy the position shown in Fig. 3, they may be moved and withoutbindingon the rail D.

Theoperation is substantially as follows: The hand-wheel0,beingturned,movestheouter eX- tremity of the tiller-section B through the medium of the pinion and rack The edge of the plate or head I is thus brought into contact with one of the clamps E, bringing said clamp into such position (as shown in Fig. 3) thatitwill slide't'reelyon therail D. The lower section, B is thus free to move in the direction of the released clamp, and is caused to move by contact of the staple H with the tenon b. The two sections of the tiller thus move together, while the spring F, on the side of the tiller opposite to that adjacent to the clamp which has been released by contact of the head I, carries along with it the otherclamp E,which occupies the position indicatedin Fig.3,whereby it will slide freely on the rail D. Thus by turning the hand-wheel both clamps are released and both of the tiller-sections caused to move together, theresult being the desired prevent any movement of the tiller.

movement of the rudder; butthe strain ofthe water or vessel on the water will not produce a reactionary movementon the hand-wheel, because such movement must come through the lower tiller-section, 13*, which alone is fast to the rudder-post. The tiller-section B being moved, however, through the rudder post, causes the clamp against which it impinges in its movement to assume the position shown in Fig. 4, the spring on the opposite side causing the other clamp to assume a like position, as shown in said figure. In this position, as already stated, the clamps bind on the rail D and Should the strain on the rudder be greater than the binding action on the rail Din the frictionbearing 61 said rail will slide circumferentially in its bearings to ease such strain, the clamps E, however, retaining their grip. To take up lost motion of the rudder-post it is made conical or tapering, as shown at a and is provided with adjustable clamps K, whose edges k are beveled to correspond.

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

1. The combination of hand-Wheel B, pinion 0 rack o and tiller-section B, having staple or mortise H, with rail D, clamp E, and tillersection B having tenon b,"the said tenon being loosely fitted in the mortise H, so as to per mit of a slight movement of section B without aflecting section B, substanti-nllyas described.

2. The combination of tiller B, sliding clamp E, rail D, and friction-clamps (1 said parts being constructed and arranged substantially as described,whereby undue pressure on the tiller will cause the said rail to move in the frictionclamps, as set forth.

3. In combination with tiller B and rail D, i

a clamping device carried by said tiller, and adapted and designed to automatically bind said rail when external pressure is exerted on the rudder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In combination with tiller-section B rail D, and clamps E, the springs F, the said spring being adapted to release the grip of the clamp E on the rail when the tiller is moved, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a steering apparatus, the rail D, connected to the tiller B by sliding clamps E, and supported by friction-bearings d substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a rudder, of the following parts a tiller made in two sections, one swiveled on the rudder-post and the other fast thereon, clamps under control of said tiller-sectio'ns, one section operating to release said clamps and the other to cause them to bind, and a rail on which said clamps are moved or caused to bind accordingly as the tiller-sections are moved from. the hand-wheel or acted on by the strain of the vessel or water on the rudder, as set forth.

In testimony thatI claimthe foregoing Ihave hereunto set my hand this 8th day ot'February, 1882.

- JESSE S. LAKE.

Witnesses:

S. J. VAN STAVOREN, UHAs. F. VAN HORN. 

